Heel anchoring means for a ski boot



s i B. E. BERLENBACH Sept. 9, 1958 HEEL ANCHORING MEANS FOR A sx: BOOT Filed 001;. 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept. 9, 1958 B. E. BERLENBACH 2,851,273

HEEL ANCHORING MEANS FOR A SKI BOOT Filed Oct. 25, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 4 TTORA/EY HEEL ANCHQRTNG MEANS FGR A SKI B00311 Bernard E. Berlenhaeh, Mill Valley, \Calif.

Application @ctoher 25, 1954, Serial No. 46h42 3 Claims. (Cl. fill-11.35)

The present invention relates to improvements in a heel anchoring means for a ski boot, and its principal object is to provide for improvements and developments in the safety binding for a ski disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial Number 428,699.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an anchoring means for the heel of the boot that allows of a certain amount of vertical play of the boot on the runner in normal skiing operations.

A further object of my invention is to provide an anchoring means which will automatically release the heel on extreme upward pressure such as might be occasioned by a forward fall of the skier.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an anchoring means for the heel of the boot which will prevent side play of the heel during normal skiing operations.

It is additionally proposed to add a safety feature which causes the heel to be released automatically in case of extreme side pressure, such as might be caused by a side thrust.

Again, it is proposed to provide a novel anchoring bracket and mounting means for the same arranged in such a manner that the bracket has a natural tendency to remain in engagement with the heel on an up-swing of the latter, instead of swinging away from the heel.

And finally, it is proposed to provide means for combining the features outlined into a relatively simple structure.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will be disclosed as the specification continues, and the new and useful features of my heel anchoring means for a ski boot will be fully defined in the claims hereto attached.

The preferred form of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side view of one form of my heel anchoring means;

Figure 2, a top plan view of the same, with portions broken away;

Figure 3, a side view of a slightly modified form of the invention; and

Figure 4, a top plan view of the same.

While I have shown only the preferred forms of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims attached hereto, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the form shown in Figures 1 and 2, a ski runner is shown at l, with the rear portion of a boot 2 disposed thereon, the boot heel forming a horizontal ledge 35, which may be inherent in the boot construction, as shown, or provided in any other suitable member, as by a projecting tongue, not shown.

My heel anchoring means comprises, in its principal features, a leaf spring 4 secured upon the runner of the ski at a suitable location rearwardly of the boot, a rigid ,ELZW

to plate 5 over-lying the leaf spring and formed with a pair of spaced flanges 6 in the forward portion thereof, an elbow 7 pivoted on a pin 8 fixedly supported in the flanges, means shown at 9 for exerting rearward pull on the body of the elbow, whereby the front end of the elbow is depressed, a bracket 10 pivoted to the front end of the elbow, and a toggle joint generally shown at 1!. for operating the bracket.

The leaf spring 4 is elongated in form and is secured upon the runner by means of screws 12. It is formed with two upward bends l3 and 14 presenting two upper faces lying in a horizontal plane parallel to the runner and with a rear section 15 slightly spaced above the runner and terminating in an upwardly projecting rear flange 16.

The plate 5 is made to rest on the two upward bends and is pivoted for sidewise swinging motion to the upward bend 14 by means of a screw 17 and a nut 18. This plate is of rigid structure and has an upward flange l9 rising from the rear end thereof in forwardly spaced relation to the flange 16.

A bolt 20 is revolvable in the flange 19 and has a head 21 bearing on the rear face of the flange, this head being formed, in the rear face thereof, with a spherical cavity 22.

The flange 16 has a bolt 23 threaded thereinto with the rounded front end of the bolt resting in the cavity 22. The pressure of the bolt in the cavity may fie adjusted by means of a head 24.

The plate 5 is normally held against turning movement on the screw 17 by means of the bolt 23, but will yield to a severe side thrust to free itself due to elasticity of the flange in. The severity of the side thrust necessary to turn the plate will depend upon the setting of the bolt 23.

The bolt 20 has a nut 24 threaded thereon, and a coiled spring 25 has its rear end secured to this nut while its front end is secured to the body of the elbow '7, as at 26, to exert a rearward pull on the body of the elbow, with a corresponding downward pull on the front end of the elbow. The strength of the pull may be adjusted by proper positioning of the nut 24 on the bolt 29.

The elbow 7, which is preferably made in the form of two symmetric and parallel plates, has a pin 27 supported in the front end thereof, and this pin has the bracket ll) swingably supported thereon.

The bracket is preferably horse-shoe shaped, with a relatively narrow central section 28 fitting between the plates of the elbow and with legs 29 spaced to encompass or straddle the heel 2 of the boot, so as to hold the latter against side swing. The front end of the bracket extends forwardly beyond the ledge 3 and is anchored thereto by means of a strap 30.

When the bracket is in adjusted position, as shown in the drawing, it is inclined downwardly toward the heel, with the extreme forward end 31 well below the pivots 8 and 27 and the ledge 3 of the heel structure. Due to this construction, when the heel plays upwardly in normal skiing and describes an are on the center of its swinging movement, as on the ball of the foot, with a slight forward component, the forward end of the bracket, normally swinging on the pivot 8, also describes an arc with a slight forward component, thereby rather deepening the engagement.

This is of particular advantage as compared with a horizontal bracket resting directly on the ledge 3, which would tend to swing backward when the heel swings forward, thereby loosening the arrangement.

The bracket 10 is operated by means of a toggle joint 11 which includes a relatively long handle 32 overlying the structure, the front end of the handle being pivoted to the bracket above the pivot 27, as at 33, and an intermediate forward portion being connected to the fixed pivot 55 by means of links 34 engaging said intermediate portion by the pivot 35.

When the parts are in assembled relation, as in Figure 1, the nain body portion of the handle overlies the structure, and the pivot 35 is slightly below dead center, as compared with the pivots 8 and 33.

The depth of penetration below dead center may be adjusted by means of a screw 36 threaded into a crossbar 37 supported between the flanges 6 and bearing on the underface of the handle, as at 38. This screw limits the downward movement of the handle and correspond ing downward movement of the pivot 35.

in operation, the handle 32 is first swung upward to approximately vertical position which causes the pivot .35 to swing above dead center, and, at the same time, causes the bracket 10 to swing upward.

The heel of the boot is then placed in proper position is depressed to the position shown in Figure 1, with bracket 10 engaging on opposite sides of the heel a d the strap as engaging over the ledge 3. The pivot 35 is now below dead center, as compared with the pivots 8 and 33, and the parts are firmly locked for normal operation.

The heel is now free for normal vertical play, any upward movement of the heel being accompanied by a similar upward swinging movement of the locked assembly including the bracket 10, the elbow 7 and the toggle-joint if.

The pivot 8, in this case, becomes the center of the swinging movement, and the spring 25 yieldingly opposes the swinging movement and brings the assembly back to normal as the heel descends. The tension of the spring determines the resistance offered to the vertical play of the heel in normal skiing operations.

In case of an abnormally severe upward thrust of the heel, such as might be occasioned by a forward fall of the skier, the forward end of the bracket 10 is thrown upward and crowds the pivot 35 across dead center, thereby breaking the toggle joint and causing both the handle and the bracket to swing toward upward position whereby the heel is released completely.

The amount of energy necessary to break the toggle joint depends upon the adjustment of the screw 36, which in turn controls the depth of penetration of the pivot 35 below dead center with respect to the pivots 8 and 33.

The bracket 10, engaging on opposite sides of the heel of the boot, normally holds the latter against side play. In case of an unusually severe side thrust, the heel may free itself by turning the plate on the pivot 17 against the opposition of the screw 23 engaging in the socket 22. The degree of resistance offered by the screw depends upon its adjustment.

As the heel swings upward, in normal operation, on the ball of the foot, it swings on a forward are. The bracket 10, following the movement of the heel, also swings on a forward are, with the pivot 8 serving as the normal center of the swinging movement so that there is no tendency of the bracket disengaging itself from the heel.

In case it is desired to omit the side thrust release, the leaf spring 4 with its attendant features, may be omitted and the plate 5 be secured directly upon the runner, as shown at 4-0 in Figures 3 and 4.

In all other respects the form of the latter two figures corresponds to that of Figures 1 and 2, and corresponding numerals have been applied.

I claim:

1. A heel anchoring means for a ski boot having a rearwardly presented ledge formed by the top of the heel, comprising a swingably mounted bracket having a forked front end adapted for straddling the heel, yielding means active on the rear end of the bracket for supporting the bracket in downwardly inclined position with its front end straddling the heel below the ledge, and a strap carried by the front end of the bracket and engaging over the ledge, whereby upon an upward swing of the heel with a forward component, the forward end of the bracket is made to swing upward with a similar forward component, the means active on the rear end of the bracket being made to yield to normal upward pressure on the boot heel and having means associated therewith to release the boot in case of extreme upward pressure on the heel, and the said means being mounted with freedom of sidewise movement, with yielding means opposing said movement except in case of extreme side pressure brought to bear on the heel.

2. A heel anchoring means for ski boot having a rearwardly presented ledge formed by the top of the heel comprising a plate mounted longitudinally upon the ski runner and having a pair of spaced flanges rising therefrom with a pin supported by the flanges, an elbow having one end pivoted on said pin and having another end projecting forwardly of the flanges, means active on the body of the elbow for exerting rearward pull thereon to depress the forward end of the elbow, a bracket pivoted in the forward end of the elbow and having a front end straddling the heel below the ledge, with a strap carried by said front end and engaging over the ledge for depressing the latter when the bracket is held in a downwardly inclined position, and a toggle joint connecting the pin and the bracket for locking the latter in downwardly inclined position when the toggle joint is locked.

3. A heel anchoring means for a ski boot having a rearwardly presented ledge formed by the top of the heel, comprising a plate mounted longitudinally upon the ski runner and having a pair of spaced flanges rising therefrom with a pin supported by the flanges, an elbow having one end pivoted on said pin and having another end projecting forwardly of the flanges, means active on the body of the elbow for exerting rearward pull thereon to depress the forward end of the elbow, a bracket pivoted in the forward end of the elbow and having a front end straddling the heel below the ledge, with a strap carried by the said front end and engaging over the ledge for depressing the latter when the bracket is held in a downwardly inclined position, and a toggle joint connecting the pin and the bracket for locking the latter in downwardly inclined position when the toggle joint is locked, the bracket being operable by a severe upward thrust brought to bear thereon by the heel for breaking the toggle joint and for releasing itself.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,396,373 Henriehsen Mar. 12, 1916 2,517,919 Pennybacker Aug. 8, 1950 2,610,861 Campbell Sept. 16, 1952 2,669,459 Fleming Feb. 1", 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 811,204 Germany Aug. 16, 1951 812,053 Germany Aug. 27, 1951 (Addition to No. 807,788) 241,681 Switzerland Aug. 16, 1946 278,973 Switzerland Feb. 16, 1952 

